Fund Advisory Groups

When the COVID-19 Response Fund formed in early March 2020, King County’s Pandemic Community Advisory Group (PCAG) stepped in to provide invaluable support and knowledge as the Fund worked to rapidly deploy the first phase of rapid-response grants.

As the Fund moves into Phase 2, people who are most impacted by the pandemic will continue to guide our grantmaking, and the constantly changing landscape of needs calls for an evolution of the Fund’s advisory body. In late April, the PCAG shifted from playing an oversight role in the grantmaking process, allowing it to return to its original King County charter: sharing information and urging action within their respective networks, and informing Public Health on what they are seeing on the ground.

For Phase 2 and beyond, Seattle Foundation has assembled a new advisory group specifically to counsel to the COVID-19 Response Fund. These 22 individuals represent a variety of community perspectives and voices, including a cross-section of sectors, neighborhoods, and groups impacted by the current crisis. Throughout the remainder of 2020, they will perform several key functions:

Provide strategic guidance on the overall funding approach and priorities.

To supplement this advisory group, we are also creating shorter-term work groups to further inform grantmaking decisions, and these groups will report to the primary advisory group. For example, tables of community experts will guide curated funding choices. Composed of people with relevant community and content expertise, these groups bring deep knowledge and understanding of available data sources, impacted communities, and relevant systems. We have also developed internal processes to document and manage conflicts of interest. Current members of these groups are listed below.

Seattle Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization. Charity Navigator has awarded Seattle Foundation four out of a possible four stars for good governance and adhering to best practices.